July 2010

Is the economy getting better? Nope.

I have said all along, that even though people (claim) the recession hit SD later it will last longer here. These numbers are pathetic;

About 38 percent of children in South Dakota are living in poverty, up sharply from 14 percent in 2001, according to new statistics released Tuesday.

The state’s reaction is even more pathetic considering they are more worried about illegal immigrants coming to SD;

Neither the governor’s office, Department of Health Secretary Doneen Hollingsworth nor Department of Social Services Secretary Deb Bowman would comment on South Dakota’s plummeting rank.

And it really comes down to jobs;

Beaver said the solution to the child poverty problem lies in creating employment opportunities for South Dakota parents. “The bottom line are jobs, jobs and more jobs,” Beaver said. Even if jobs are created, the situation won’t get better unless parents can prosper in them, Randall said. “(Economic conditions) will, to some extent, trail the national economy,” Randall said. “But a lot of it depends on our own state’s economic development efforts and the extent to which we go after jobs that are solid, well-paying jobs.”

Kinda sounds like our ‘cheap labor’ mantra has come to bite us in the ass.

Back in the Saddle

Hello everyone:
Well, I made it through probation and now I can again say publicly that the Earth revolves around the sun. You can catch up on the medical cannabis proposition at http://decorumforum.blogspot.com/.
Emmett Reistroffer will be in Rapid City Thursday afternoon at the Summer Nights concert at 7th and St. Joe downtown. Emmett, of course, is the guy who, more than any other single person, is responsible for the fact that South Dakotans will be voting in November whether to allow sick, disabled and dying patients to use cannabis to alleviate their conditions.
South Dakotans for Compassion, the organization which includes Emmett as its principal officer, has a website you should visit.
Look for the SDCompassion.org table in art alley or in front of the Staging Grounds at 7th & St Joe.
Emmett has asked me to invite you to participate in the parade in Deadwood on Friday and/or Saturday as a member of So. Dakotans for Compassion. Please reply if you would like to do this. We’d like to present a group of people of all ages. We may be costumed by the Deadwood parade committee.
And stop by the SoDak Compassion table Thursday night at Summer Nights. Emmett has some suggestions on how you can help promote Initiated Measure 13, the South Dakota Safe Access Act.
Best regards,
Bob Newland